Exploring the intent of the hunt scene in Chaucer's "The Book of the Duchess"

Date

5/30/1993

Authors

Montague, Georgia Jo L.

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Abstract

This study explores the concept that Chaucer wrote The Book of the Duchess in part to absolve his friend John of Gaunt from feelings of guilt involving the salvation of his first wife, Blanche, and to reconcile John of Gaunt to Blanche's death. Chaucer delivers the message of absolution in the hunt scene through symbolism and imagery. The absolution and the reconciliation would enable John of Gaunt to become sovereign of himself and would allow him "homwarde for to ryde/Unto a place, was there besyde/Which was from us but a lyte--/A long castel with walles white ... " (BD 1314-18).

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Keywords

Literature, Middle Ages, British and Irish literature, Language, literature, and linguistics

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